Question:
Answer:
This is what is called the “brother/sister solution.” It is described by Saint Pope John Paul II:
. . .This means, in practice, that when, for serious reasons, such as for example the children’s upbringing, a man and a woman cannot satisfy the obligation to separate, they “take on themselves the duty to live in complete continence, that is, by abstinence from the acts proper to married couples.” (Familiaris Consortio, 84)
This was reaffirmed by the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith with the added caveat “as long as they respect the obligation to avoid giving scandal” (Reception of Holy Communion by the Divorced and Remarried, 4).
Some diocese permit the local pastor to determine if the “brother/sister solution” is appropriate and other diocese refer the matter to the Bishop for approval.